A dog tag system, as seen in Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield: Bad Company, is also used, awarding players with their opponents' dog tags when they defeat them with a knife attack.

The game uses the Punk Buster anti-cheat program to protect from cheaters in online multiplayer matches.

If a player is wounded, he or she must take cover and avoid damage in order to regain health.A heavily wounded player will see dirt and blood around the edges of the screen.Aside from infantry combat, the campaign contains several missions in which the player controls a vehicle, or mans a weapon turret while a teammate controls the vehicle.Each weapon in the campaign is considered a collectible - the first time the player picks up that type of weapon, a "Collectable Unlocked" message appears.Each class has a variety of unique weapons and equipment, and serves a specific role in combat.

There are also some weapons that can be used by any class, such as pistols and shotguns.

The game's Frostbite 1.5 engine allows for destructible environments.

Multiplayer maps, which allow for five different game modes, contain a wide selection of vehicles, aircraft and emplacements.

Bad Company 2 features a story-driven single-player campaign.

For most of the narrative, the player takes control of Preston Marlowe, one of the members of the titular "Bad Company".

There are also sensor stations throughout the campaign which the player can find and destroy - this is also recorded in the campaign stats.